Empirica

What Empirica does

Empirica (legal name: empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH) is a private research and consultancy firm headquartered in Bonn, Germany, founded in 1989. The firm operates exclusively as a B2B professional services provider, delivering market research, policy consultancy, business process design, pilot project management, technology impact assessment, business modelling, survey design and analysis, benchmarking, and event organization to public and private sector clients. Its work is organized around six vertical sectors: Digital Health, eCare & Ageing, eSkills & Work, Inclusive Society, Research & Innovation, and Energy, each focused on the application of ICT to domain-specific challenges. Notable proprietary methodologies and tools include the ASSIST framework for socio-economic impact assessment of eCare services, the eeMeasure online evaluation tool (used by over 100 EC pilot sites), a Cost Benefit Analysis tool supporting 300+ indicators, the EU eHealth Interoperability Framework, and the eCCIS impact survey instrument.

Empirica's core client base consists of European Commission directorates (DG CONNECT, DG RTD, DG GROW, CINEA), national governments including the Federal German Government, international organizations (OECD, WHO, ESA, European Parliament), and corporate clients such as Philips, Cisco, Intel, SAP, Deutsche Bank, Tunstall, AGFA, Alere, Hewlett Packard, and Continentale. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: EU research project contracts (Horizon Europe, Digital Europe Programme, Health Programme) where Empirica acts as consortium coordinator or partner; direct government consultancy engagements; and corporate consultancy for business modelling and market development in IT/telecom, insurance, pharma, automotive, and healthcare sectors. Project budgets range from small consultancy days to coordinated large-scale actions exceeding 20 million Euro across multi-partner consortia, with Empirica's pricing being project-based and non-public.

The firm's distribution is built on its embedded position in EU institutional procurement, anchored by the European Network for Innovation Research (ENIR) linking 500+ experts across 40+ countries, consortium memberships with leading research bodies (Fraunhofer IAO, AIT, RAND Europe, Ramboll) and academic institutions (INSEAD, IE, Henley, St. Gallen, TU Munich), and standards-body memberships including Continua Health Alliance, the Institute of Excellence for Semantic Interoperability (INES), and GA4GH. Staff come from approximately 10 countries and work in more than 15 languages, and the firm maintains active operating geographies across Europe, the USA, and the Middle East, with project reach extending into additional global markets via the ENIR network.

Name

Empirica

Legal name

empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH

Website

https://empirica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Empirica is a Bonn-based private research and consultancy firm founded in 1989 that helps public and private sector clients across Europe apply ICT innovation in digital health, eCare, eSkills, energy, and research and innovation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. EU Research Project Contracts: Empirica leads and participates in large EU-funded research projects (Horizon Europe, Digital Europe Programme, Health Programme, etc.) as consortium coordinator or partner. Revenue comes from EC service contracts and grants for specific research, evaluation, and coordination activities across digital health, energy, skills, and innovation domains.
2. Government Consultancy Services: Direct consultancy engagements with European Commission directorates (DG CONNECT, DG RTD, DG GROW, etc.), national governments (Federal German government, ministries), and international organisations (OECD, WHO, ESA). Services include policy development, strategy consulting, market analysis, and evaluation.
3. Corporate Consultancy: Consultancy services for global players in IT and telecommunications, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, automobile companies, and healthcare/social service providers. Includes business modelling, process design, and impact assessment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Empirica provides research and consultancy services that enable public and private sector clients internationally to succeed in innovation with new information and communication technology. The firm delivers market and policy research, impact assessment, business modelling, pilot project design and evaluation, and survey and benchmarking services across six sectors: Digital Health, eCare & Ageing, eSkills & Work, Inclusive Society, Research & Innovation, and Energy. It also coordinates and participates in large-scale EU-funded research consortia with budgets that can exceed 20 million Euro.

Product overview

Empirica is a private research and consultancy firm, not a software product company. It provides professional services including market research, policy consultancy, business process design, pilot project management, technology impact assessment, business modelling, survey design and analysis, benchmarking, and event organization. The company operates across six sectors: Digital Health, eCare & Ageing, eSkills & Work, Inclusive Society, Research & Innovation, and Energy. Services are delivered to public and private sector clients in Europe, the USA, and Middle East through multi-disciplinary teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Health research and consultancy Applied research and consulting services on ICT-enabled health and social care delivery for governments, healthcare providers, IT industry players, and EU institutions. Covers eHealth strategies, cross-border interoperability, in silico medicine, person-centred care, business development for health-tech firms, and clinical trials support.
• eCare & Ageing research and consultancy Research and consulting services for care providers, governments, and health/social service organisations addressing the challenges of ageing societies. Covers ICT-based care service design, ambient assisted living, integrated care systems, eCare service innovation, socio-economic impact assessment (via the ASSIST Framework), and business model development.
• eSkills & Work research and consultancy Research and consulting services for policy makers, education institutions, corporations, and industry bodies on e-leadership curriculum, skills monitoring and forecasting, new ways of working, education and training partnerships, and digital skills policy. Includes building and maintaining the EU Digital Skills and Jobs Platform.
• Inclusive Society research and consultancy Research and consulting services for organisations and decision makers addressing eAccessibility, social innovation, digital inclusion, and accessibility monitoring. Supports analysis of alternative employment models for persons with disabilities and other inclusive labour-market initiatives.
• Research & Innovation consultancy Research and consulting services for governments, enterprises, research organisations, and universities on knowledge transfer strategies, entrepreneurship support, business innovation, and R&I policy development. Includes case studies for the HEInnovate platform for entrepreneurial higher education institutions.
• Energy research and consultancy Research and consulting services for cities, utilities, researchers, and service providers across Europe on innovative means to improve energy efficiency in public and private buildings. Includes coordination of large projects, evaluation, business analysis, and solution consulting, supported by the eeMeasure tool and the Cost-Benefit Analysis tool.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 EC-pilot sites have used eeMeasure tool for energy evaluation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• German NGO SozialheldencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on study for European Commission on alternative employment models for persons with disabilities. Explored how sheltered employment and supported employment approaches function across EU Member States.
• Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in study for Sitra to understand how digital therapeutics can be used in European health systems. Digital therapeutics are evidence-based digital medical interventions.
• ÖGUT (Austrian Association for Environment and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Gender Balance in Energy Transition study commissioned by European Commission's CINEA. ÖGUT contributes expertise on sustainability and gender aspects in the energy sector.
• PortiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Gender Balance in Energy Transition study. Portia provides expertise on gender equality and women's empowerment in the energy transition.
• DIW EconcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Gender Balance in Energy Transition study. DIW Econ contributes economic analysis expertise on gender balance in R&I and energy sectors.
• Fraunhofer IAO CeRRIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Gender Balance in Energy Transition study. Fraunhofer IAO CeRRI contributes research expertise on innovation and gender aspects.
• gdcccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Gender Balance in Energy Transition study, providing expertise on gender data and analysis.
• PredictBycoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborated with PredictBy on developing the Digital Decade e-Health composite indicator for the European Commission, including a comprehensive monitoring framework and survey.
• European SchoolnetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs subcontractor of consortium led by European Schoolnet, empirica is building the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform for DG CNECT - a one-stop-shop platform for digital skills information in Europe.
• RAND EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in European Commission Framework Contract for Evaluation and Impact Assessment. RAND Europe (EU) AISBL leads the consortium providing evaluation services to the EC.
• Ramboll Management ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in European Commission Framework Contract for Evaluation and Impact Assessment. Provides management consulting expertise for EU evaluation projects.
• AIT Austrian Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in European Commission Framework Contract for Evaluation and Impact Assessment. Contributes technological and research expertise.
• European CommissioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary client and partner for multiple research and consultancy projects across DG CONNECT, DG RTD, DG GROW, and other directorates. Coordinates and participates in EU-funded research programmes.
• Continua Health AlliancecoreTechnology or IntegrationEmpirica is a member of Continua Health Alliance, facilitating standardisation and interoperability in personal connected health solutions.
• Institute of Excellence for Semantic InteroperabilitycoreTechnology or IntegrationEmpirica is a founding member of the Institute of Excellence for Semantic Interoperability (INES), promoting semantic interoperability standards in healthcare.
• Beyond 1 Million Genomes (B1MG) ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGDI project builds on B1MG outputs for rare disease and cancer proof-of-concepts. B1MG established foundations for genomic data infrastructure across Europe.
• 1+ Million Genomes (1+MG) InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGDI project is realising the ambition of the 1+MG initiative, aiming to realise the practice of genomic medicine across Europe through federated data infrastructure.
• Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH)coreTechnology or IntegrationGDI Starter Kit products are based on open community standards from GA4GH. These standards enable technical interoperability for genomic data sharing across borders.
• European Patients' Forum (EPF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmpirica represented DigitalHealthEurope at EPF Congress 2021, focusing on digital health innovation for patient empowerment.
• HEInnovate Platform (EC/OECD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributing case studies about entrepreneurial higher education institutions to the HEInnovate self-reflection tool and resource base.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Capgemini Invent: Capgemini Invent is a broad incumbent — a large global management and technology consultancy with a substantial EU public-sector practice competing for EC digital transformation, eHealth, and skills framework contracts that overlap with Empirica's portfolio.
• Deloitte (EU Public Sector): Deloitte's EU Public Sector practice is a broad incumbent — competing for EC framework contracts in digital health, skills policy, and innovation evaluation, with deeper global resources and cross-DG capabilities that overlap with Empirica's service areas.

Emerging players

• European Schoolnet: European Schoolnet is an emerging peer — a Brussels-based non-profit network of European education ministries that leads consortia in digital skills and education technology, overlapping with Empirica's eSkills & Work sector (Empirica is a subcontractor on the EU Digital Skills and Jobs Platform).

Direct peers

• RAND Europe: RAND Europe is a direct peer — a non-profit research institute providing policy research, evaluation, and impact assessment to EU institutions and member-state governments. It currently leads the same EC Framework Contract for Evaluation and Impact Assessment consortium as Empirica.
• Fraunhofer IAO: Fraunhofer IAO (and its CeRRI unit) is a direct peer — a German applied research institute that leads large EU-funded research consortia in innovation, digital transformation, and workplace/organisational research. Empirica and Fraunhofer IAO CeRRI are co-consortium partners on EC studies.
• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology: AIT is a direct peer — an Austrian applied research organisation participating in the same EC Framework Contract for Evaluation and Impact Assessment consortium as Empirica, with overlapping focus areas in digital health, energy, and innovation policy.
• Technopolis Group: Technopolis Group is a direct peer — an Amsterdam-headquartered research and consulting firm specialising in evaluation, impact assessment, and innovation policy for the European Commission, OECD, and member-state governments, with substantial overlap in R&I and digital health advisory.
• DIW Econ GmbH: DIW Econ is a direct peer — a Berlin-based economic research and policy consultancy affiliated with the German Institute for Economic Research, partnering with Empirica on EC studies (e.g., Gender Balance in Energy Transition) and competing for similar framework contracts.
• VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH: VDI/VDE-IT is a direct peer — a German innovation and technology consultancy that coordinates EU-funded R&I projects, provides policy analysis, and serves as an evaluation intermediary for the EC, with a similar multi-disciplinary, project-based model to Empirica.
• Ramboll Management Consulting: Ramboll Management Consulting is a direct peer — a Nordic-rooted consultancy that co-leads EC evaluation framework contracts with Empirica and RAND Europe, providing strategy and impact assessment services to EU institutions and national governments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empirica-communication-and-technology-research
• Xx.com/empirica_bonn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empirica